Man who killed 8 people in Illinois and Missouri sentenced

A man who killed six people in Illinois before killing two people in Missouri wept and begged the victims' families for forgiveness Wednesday before he was sentenced to life in prison for the Missouri deaths.

Nicholas Sheley, who initially faced the death penalty, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the 2008 deaths of Jill and Tom Estes. The Arkansas couple were killed while staying at a hotel in Festus, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south of St. Louis, after they left a graduation party.

Investigators said Sheley happened upon the couple during a drug- and alcohol-fueled rampage that began in his Illinois hometown.

Sheley dropped to his knees during the sentencing hearing, saying he wished he could take back what he did. He also apologized to law enforcement and others touched by the crimes, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported .

"What I did about 10 years ago was wrong on every level, unjustified, completely uncalled for. Cowardly acts," Sheley said, weeping as he read for 20 minutes from a statement.

Missouri prosecutors initially said they wanted to seek the death penalty, after former Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn formally abolished the punishment in his state in 2011. But prosecutors later changed their strategy in Missouri — without explanation — in a decision that infuriated victims' relatives, many of whom were in the courtroom Wednesday.

"We are all angry and disappointed. This it totally unjust. That was not a victory," said Cari Randall, whose father was killed in Galesburg, Illinois, one of three Illinois towns where Sheley's victims were found dead.

Dallas Branson, whose only son was also among Sheley's victims, said he didn't believe Sheley's apology.

"He is a manipulator and it's pure evil when you kill eight people," said Branson, who lives in Sterling, Illinois, Sheley's hometown. "A bad guy can make an apology but there is no apology for killing eight people."

Prosecutors have said Sheley started his rampage because he believed one of the Illinois victims, 29-year-old Brock Branson, was having an affair with his wife. One witness told police Sheley and Branson had argued about drugs.

Following Wednesday's sentencing, Jefferson County Prosecuting Attorney Forrest Wegge didn't address why prosecutors didn't pursue the death penalty in Missouri. Under the Missouri plea deal, Sheley also was sentenced to 75 years in prison for two counts of armed criminal action.

Sheley is already serving life sentences for the Illinois killings.

Investigators said the killings began on June 26, 2008, in Sterling, Illinois, where the body of 93-year-old farmer Russell Reed was found in the trunk of his car. The bodies of Jill and Tom Estes were found four days later, the same day investigators found the body of Ronald Randall at a grocery store in Galesburg, Illinois.

Authorities also found the bludgeoned bodies of four other people that day: Kenneth Ulve, 25; Branson; Branson's fiancée, Kilynna Blake, 20; and her 2-year-old son, Dayan Blake. Their bodies were found inside a Rock Falls apartment in northwestern Illinois.

Sheley was arrested on July 1, 2008, outside a bar in Granite City, Illinois, after patrons recognized him from media coverage of the killings.

August Busch IV arrested for trying to fly helicopter while intoxicated

Former Anheuser-Busch CEO August Adolphus Busch IV was arrested in Swansea overnight Monday after police say he tried to fly a helicopter while allegedly intoxicated.

According to Swansea police, officers were first called Monday afternoon around 12:45 when they got reports of an unauthorized helicopter landing at a business at 1 Bronze Point. The FAA was notified and advised they were going to investigate.

But around 8:15, police were notified again because witnesses said the pilot appeared to be too intoxicated to fly. Officers arrived at found the 53-year-old Busch IV attempting to take off with a woman who claimed to be his wife.

According to court documents obtained by 5 On Your Side, inside the helicopter were eight dogs, multiple loaded firearms and prescription drugs, some of which are for fertility issues.

Busch IV was arrested and taken to a local hospital for blood, urine and breath samples after officers conducted the standard field sobriety tests. According to court records, Busch IV blew a .000 during the breath test, but was unable to follow some directions and could not complete some steps during a field sobriety test.

The officer, according to court records, believing Busch IV could be under the influence of prescription drugs, informed him he was no longer permitted to fly away.

Busch IV informed the officer of his Missouri conceal carry license and that he was armed with a gun in his front pants pocket. According to court records, as the officer removed the weapon, Busch said the Rohrbaugh R9 was “hot.”

Further investigation found at least four other loaded firearms on board the helicopter and numerous prescription drugs. According to court records, a second sobriety test was performed in which Busch IV had “mumbled and slurred” speech to the point “it was difficult to understand.”

According to the officer performing the test, Busch IV also struggled with the one leg stand and walk and turn portions of the test.

He has since been released from the hospital, according to Swansea Police, and is not facing any criminal charges at this time. However, sources said that could change depending on the outcome of the tests.

A St. Clair County judge granted the testing with a search warrant under the offenses of reckless conduct, unlawful use of a weapon and intoxicated persons in or about an aircraft.

Starting school before 8.30am causes depression because students are sleep deprived, claims new study

Starting school before 8.30am increases students' risk of suffering depression and anxiety, new research suggests.

Early start times are thought to put pressure on children to get plenty of shut eye, which hinders their ability to sleep and puts them at greater risk of mental health conditions, the researchers believe.

Lead author Dr Jack Peltz from the University of Rochester Medical Center, said: 'Earlier school start times seem to put more pressure on the sleep process and increase mental health symptoms, while later school start times appear to be a strong protective factor for teens.

'Better sleep hygiene combined with later school start times would yield better outcomes.'

The researchers recommend students maintain a consistent bedtime routine that aims for between eight and 10 hours of shut eye a night, while minimizing their technology use before attempting to nod off.

How the research was carried out ...

Researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center analyzed 197 students aged between 14 and 17.

The study's participants and their parents completed a questionnaire that asked questions regarding the students' sleep habits, school start times and whether they are a 'morning or evening person'.

The participants were then divided into groups depending on whether they start school before or after 8.30am.

Over seven days, the students kept a diary where they recorded their sleep habits, quality and duration, as well as any symptoms of depression or anxiety.

Starting school after 8.30am reduces depression ..

Results reveal starting school after 8.30am reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety.

The researchers believe students that start school early may feel more pressure to get good quality sleep, hindering their amount of shut eye.

Early start times may also impact children's nutrition or activity levels, which could influence their sleep, they add.

Dr Peltz said: 'Earlier school start times seem to put more pressure on the sleep process and increase mental health symptoms, while later school start times appear to be a strong protective factor for teens.

'Maintaining a consistent bedtime, getting between eight and 10 hours of sleep, limiting caffeine, turning off the TV, cell phone and video games before bed; these efforts will all benefit their quality of sleep and mental health.

'However, the fact that school start times showed a moderating effect on mental health symptoms, suggests that better sleep hygiene combined with later school start times would yield better outcomes.'

Foreigners warned about traveling to U.S. due to Las Vegas shooting, hurricane destruction

Gun violence, natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks top the list of reasons why some countries are urging their citizens to think carefully before traveling to the U.S.In the wake of Sunday night's Route 91 Harvest Festival attack in Las Vegas and the multitude of hurricanes that ravaged Gulf States like Texas and Florida and U.S. territories Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, some foreign countries are warning their citizens of traveling to the States for the foreseeable future. The Vegas Strip shooting left at least 58 people dead and more than 500 injured and in Puerto Rico, at least 34 people were killed by Hurricane Maria and, as of Tuesday, 95% of the island still did not have power.

The German government recently updated its travel safety page to include the Las Vegas attack and hurricane damage but also lists "frequent political demonstrations" and "politically motivated violence" as reasons to be vigilant while traveling. Under a section labeled "crime," the German government notes that "In the U.S. it is comparatively easy to get possession of weapons," and, "If you become a victim of an armed attack, do not try to defend yourself!"

The United Kingdom's foreign travel advice page says that terrorists are "very likely to try to carry out attacks in the USA," and that citizens should avoid the city of Las Vegas since the attack. It also has a note about travel to Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands that reads, the "post-storm situation remains dangerous, with extreme flooding, power outages, and limited communications.

America's neighbor to the north, Canada, is currently advising Canadians to "avoid non-essential travel to the Florida Keys and Naples due to damage caused by Hurricane Irma."

The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs site says that "there is an increased threat of terrorism and extremist violence worldwide" and that "the USA has also witnessed a number of mass shootings in recent years," both of which Irish citizens should bear in mind.

In Australia, the government is also saying that it's still unsafe to travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico in the wake of Hurricanes Maria and Irma but its general safety tips makes a point that "The United states has more violent crime than Australia" and that "Mass shootings continue to occur in public places."

This is not the first time foreign nations have advised their citizens from coming to America. Just last year, New Zealand, France, Germany and other countries issued warnings about traveling to the U.S., citing the Zika virus, gun violence and anti-LGBTQ sentiments, according to Condé Nast Traveler. In March, the Independent reported that Nigeria was warning its citizens against traveling here amid the uncertainty immediately surrounding President Trump's immigration ban.

Costco Is Selling a Year's Worth of "Emergency Food" For $1,000

If you're worried that the world could come to an end any day now . . . hey, join the club. And get your Costco membership card ready.

Costco just started selling an "emergency food" kit that has 6,200 servings of canned food . . . including wheat, rice, milk, fruits, vegetables, granola, and meat. They say it's for one person to have about 1,200 calories per day for a year.

If you want to get it to stock your bunker, it costs $999.99 . . . which comes out to about $2.75-a-day. And the food in the cans have a 25-year shelf life, so you'll be covered as long as the apocalypse comes before 2042. But unfortunately, it's sold out right now.

Good News: Santa Is Real! Bad News: They Found His Tomb

At this point, you might want your kids to stop listening.

Because . . . um . . . he's dead. Real, real dead.

The archeologists found a tomb in Demre, in southern Turkey. And they say it's most likely the tomb for the real Saint Nicholas . . . who's the bishop that the Santa Claus legend is based on, of course.

He was buried in the middle of the fourth century, so this tomb has been sitting there for almost 1,700 years undiscovered.

The team is working slowly to excavate his remains, but they say it's going to be a slow process . . . they need to make sure they don't damage the tomb in the process.

A Couple Won't Stop Having Loud Car Sex . . . and the Guy Gets Mad at a Cop For "Blocking" Him

Someone in La Crosse, Wisconsin called 911 around 3:25 A.M. on Monday because she'd been woken up by LOUD SEX NOISES coming from a car parked in front of her house.

A cop came and walked up to the gold Pontiac Grand Am . . . and noticed the windows were fogged up and the car was a-rockin'. Then he broke one of society's unwritten laws by going a-knockin' anyway.

But 21-year-old Bailey Puttkemery and 20-year-old Emily Scott didn't stop. The cop waited FIVE MINUTES, but when they were still going at it inside the car, he finally shined his flashlight in and told them to get out.

(Careful!) Bailey was VERY angry, and told the cop he was [rooster]-blocking him and was giving him, quote, "blue balls." You know the real phrase. That's what he said.

Anyway, they were both arrested for lewd and lascivious behavior, and Bailey was also charged with disorderly conduct.

A Guy Gets Threats After Neighbors Confuse His Jack Daniel's Flag For an ISIS Flag

A 29-year-old guy in Zurich, Switzerland recently decided to hang a Jack Daniel's flag outside of his house. Yes, apparently he loves it that much.

But he got a threatening letter from his neighbors because they saw the black flag with white lettering . . . and they confused it with the ISIS flag. And they told him he'd better take it down . . . or they'd be watching him.

He called the cops, but they said there's really nothing they can do about the threats. And the guy says he is going to keep flying the flag because taking it down, quote, "would prove them right."